Low Sodium Style

So.  My blood pressure is starting to creep up again.

To say I'm upset about it is an understatement.

Not to sound all "whoa is me" whiny, but this totally sucks.  For more than one reason.

A) I don't want to have to see a specialist every week.  Because for starters, our hospital is much further than last time, so the gas mileage would suck.  And because our insurance blows huge chunks this time around the thought of all the bills we would rack up from seeing a specialist each week only makes my blood pressure rise even more.  It's a vicious cycle.

B) I don't want to worry about bed rest, early hospitalization, early delivery, risk to our baby boy, or risk to myself.

C) I don't want to have to take blood pressure meds.

D) I don't want to be a swollen marshmallow again.  I can currently still see my ankles, and my fingers don't feel like sausages about to pop -- yet.  And I particularly like it this way.

The best thing I can do right now really is to watch my salt intake.  Which, in all honesty, I have been a thousand times better about from day 1 this go-round anyway.  I haven't been adding salt to anything, and I've been trying to pick better options when possible...but I have admittedly fallen into the easy pregnancy trap of "eh, eat whatever the hell you want", and it's coming back to kick me in the ass.

So this morning, after dropping Nick at daycare, I swung by the grocery store to pick up a few low sodium foods for quick breakfast & lunch options.  Just a couple of things, as we're going out of town this weekend and Todd has promised to take me for a serious low-sodium shopping trip next week.

I grabbed bananas, raspberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, baby carrots, Swiss cheese (surprisingly low sodium!), no salt added cottage cheese, low sodium English muffins, Greek yogurt cream cheese, low sodium turkey breast, bag salad, fresh made salsa, and jalapenos (the ultimate no salt spice addition!).

And I started my morning by toasting up an English muffin, spreading just a dab of Greek yogurt cream cheese on each side, and topped them with a slice of onion, tomato, some diced red pepper, and sliced jalapeno.

And then I shocked myself when it was not only delicious, but filling as well.

Hopefully I'll be able to translate this into all of my meals.  I should go back and pull up the posts I did during my pregnancy with Nick...I distinctly remember Todd making me dinner of chicken & spinach while he dined on hot dogs and mac & cheese.  And I'm sure we'll be doing a bit of the same this go 'round.  But here's hoping this time we caught it early enough, and I'll be able to bring my blood pressure down enough to not have to worry about seeing a specialist each week.

If you have ANY low sodium foods or recipes to recommend, PLEASE SHARE!  I need all the help and encouragement I can get!